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Many luxury resorts feel special, but few feel magical. Only at the Hotel del Coronado can one glide on ice at an ice rink on the beach or splash away in a mermaid tail during “Mermaid Fitness” in the pool.

Fin fitness

Hotel del Coronado

Perhaps it’s the fact that both Marilyn Monroe and Barack Obama have strolled the very same beach the Hotel del Coronado rests on or the postage stamps, books, and ghost stories that make this Southern California resort so enchanting and timeless. Whatever the magic at hand, the Hotel del Coronado, often just dubbed “The Del,” continues to attract generations of guests, locals, and regal visitors from around the world. I recently stayed at The Del during the holidays to feel the charm firsthand.

Some of the magic of The Del rests its rich history and unbelievable location. Opened in 1888, the resort remains the 2nd largest wooden structure in the United States. The lobby itself is a study on fine Illinois oak woodwork, and I could feel the sturdy wood floorboards creak here and there under the carpet as I strolled to my room, one of the 757 available at The Del. In the Crown Room, the venue of The Del’s popular Sunday Brunch, crown chandeliers hang from the 33-foot high ceiling made of elegantly bowed sugar pine.

The grand Crown Room

Hotel del Coronado

At the time, the room was considered an architectural achievement for its uninterrupted 160-foot by 60-foot expanse. It still catches my breath and makes for a one-of-a-kind brunch, to say the least. Despite its all wood structure, The Del sits right on the wide, white sand beach of Coronado, ranked one of the best beaches in the US time and time again. There’s something uncanny to strolling Coronado beach’s fine sands, passing surfers and sandcastles, only to glance up and see a gleaming white and red roof icon like The Del in the distance.

The Del makes use of its prime location, too.

View of Beach Village Cottage

Hotel del Coronado

The Beach Village, the oceanfront cluster of 78 cottages and villas built in 2007 and under renovation, is a five star experience for guests looking for a more private and modern experience. Fitness inclined folks will love “Beach Spin,” a 50-minute spin class overlooking the ocean or “Yoga on the Beach,” a guided instruction with an ocean waves soundtrack. I loved both, and I can’t imagine someone tiring of the grandeur of this spectacular beach.

Spin class overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Hotel del Coronado

Inside The Del’s spa, now under the direction of local spa guru Michelle Frye, the beach is also incorporated as the main channel to wellness and beauty. I was excited to check out the services, as I’ve long thought seaweed was some fantasy fern of vitality from the ocean (kelp alone can grow several feet a day!) Plus, who doesn’t want the radiant hair and flawless skin of a mermaid? The Spa at The Del didn’t disappoint, and many services feature seaweed, sea salt, and algae to bring out the mermaid in all of us. My favorite treatment was the Seaweed Leaf Wrap, a real full-leaf seaweed wrap and body buffing that reveals stunning, soft skin. Another solid option is the Sea Salt Stone Massage which uses sea salt stones to rub away tension points while doubling as a gentle scrub. After my treatments, I lounged like a beached seal by the spa’s private ocean-facing pool.

View from the lounge chair at the spa

Hotel del Coronado

Making sure The Del’s magic evolves while cherishing its charm is a tall order, and the property, despite a few ownership shuffles in recent years, aspires to delight guests with new offerings. The “Love of Brunch” will be a new art-driven experience for Sunday brunch starting in February, and 1500 Ocean, the high-end restaurant on site, will soon open as a new seafood concept featuring a “lively” bar, according to my sources. There’s also a four-year “Master Plan” renovation underway which will produce a new walkway, conference center, and refreshed California Cabana guest rooms. All the more reasons to return once again to The Del.

I’ve traveled to 70 countries and have reviewed more than 200 luxury resorts from the bottom of Patagonia, the plains of Mongolia, the shadows of the pyramids of Egypt,

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I’ve traveled to 70 countries and have reviewed more than 200 luxury resorts from the bottom of Patagonia, the plains of Mongolia, the shadows of the pyramids of Egypt, and the cloud forests of Uganda. The best trips for me have the “3 Gs”: gritty, grueling, and gorgeous, and I usually aim for a gorgeous resort or hotel somewhere in a trip. When I’m not traveling, I cover venture capital and startups for outlets such as Inc, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur and lead a tech PR firm, BAM Communications. I also invest in other startups and fly helicopters.